Forgotten valuable 2024 AL Champion Yankee announces retirement with IG farewell

There are players who, if not for a brief moment in the spotlight, would have their tenures as New York Yankees completely forgotten. One such player from recent memory is Jon Berti, who recently announced that he's calling it a career and retiring from the MLB.

Berti was seen as a welcome addition when Brian Cashman swung a three-team trade to bring him to the Bronx just before Opening Day in 2024. A late bloomer who didn't make his big league debut until his age-28 season, Berti was coming off an extremely solid 2023 campaign with the Miami Marlins in which he hit .294/.344/.405 while playing all over the field. The previous season, he had stolen 41 bases and seemed poised to add another level of speed to the Yankees' roster in addition to his versatility.

Unfortunately, Berti missed a huge chunk of the regular season due to groin and calf injuries. Ultimately he'd play just 25 regular season games in 2024, logging 74 plate appearances, and hitting .273/.342/.318. Being that this was his only season in pinstripes, it would be easy to assume that his memory would be lost to the sands of time.

Jon Berti should be remembered fondly by Yankees fans for his 2024 postseason performance

Despite barely playing throughout the regular season, Berti was thrust into action during the 2024 ALDS against the Kansas City Royals following Anthony Rizzo fracturing his fingers after being hit by a pitch on September 28 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Berti came in and starred defensively for the Yankees throughout the series, despite being more of a natural middle infielder. He made several key plays that saved errors, converted outs, and helped pitchers get out of jams.

The utility man also made an impact on the bases, scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians. While he only played four games during the postseason run and hit just .182/.250/.182, he made his presence felt by doing the little things, helping New York win the AL Pennant.

The Yankees would non-tender Berti in the following offseason, and he'd go on to sign with the Chicago Cubs for the 2025 season. With the Cubs, he hit .210/.262/.230 in 51 games. That would be the end of his big league action.

At 36 years old, Berti is calling it a career. He closes the book with 514 MLB games, a .256/.333/.357 line, 24 homers, 108 stolen bases, and 6.5 fWAR under his belt. Yankees fans should always look back on him fondly for his crucial, if underrated, contributions during the team's most exciting playoff run in years.

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